Dousing The Flames
by QueenoftheUndergrowth
Summary: One of Zim's latest plans takes a turn for the worst when he's caught in a house fire. However, he's not the only soul trapped inside the house, there's another, a small human child. With his life on the line, and this little girl's; Zim makes a big decision that will probably change his outlook on life, dousing the inner fires of his heart...
1. Breaking and entering

**A/N: I started this about two weeks ago. It will be about two chapters in all including an epilogue. It's not a very long story, but it was just a practice and test to see if I could complete it. This is an idea which I've had for ages now, and I finally decided to write it. The whole thing is finished, just needs some editing first so you only have to wait till Saturday for the next update. It will be finished by then. As a heads up, the word 'piss' comes into this, but I don't regard that as a swear word (mostly because I hear worse often) but just a warning for anyone. With the way the character says it, it is quite offensive.**

**Disclaimer: Jhonen was too busy this weekend at InvaderCON to worry about me using his stuff, but nonetheless, I don't own Invader Zim. I ****never have, and I never will. **

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Deep in the bowels of an evil lair lives the small and prideful Irken known as Zim, working away on a complex-looking machine with his highly skilled hands. With his capabilities, he could create the most evil weapons of mass destruction, upsetting the ultimate balance of mankind... Well, he could if he wasn't so hung up on destroying the existence of one human boy...

Zim was altering his new machine, adding a few adjustments here and there until he was finally satisfied with the results. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he stepped down from the machine and put his wrench to one side by his Irken tool box. He contemplated his fine work as a small smile crept to the corners of his mouth, revealing jagged, zipper-like teeth.

His machine resembled a giant wheel with a circular cross-section for boring into soil and rock strata. Its purpose was to create tunnels, like the similar human device used to tunnel through mountains.

Though it should be taken into consideration that this machine came from the mind of an Irken, even if said Irken was moronically insane. Therefore, it is far more superior to any human machine, even it bears a resemblance.

Zim puffed up his chest and broadened his shoulders, then prepared a speech. "This is it, GIR. We're finally one stop closer to our goal of conquering this primitive rock! Can't you feel it? It reeks of victory!" Zim inhaled deeply, smelling the thick, oily scent of his success. However, no cheering sounds of praise or cries for joy welcomed his speech.

"GIR, where are you? Why aren't you by my side, encouraging me with motivating words of … wait, who am I kidding? Just get by my side, wherever you are! I suppose your attendance is better than none at all."

Zim's eyes scanned his subterranean lab, but there was no sign of a dysfunctional SIR unit anywhere. How odd. Where could he be? A memory resurfaced in his mind from this morning, triggered by the brain-controlling centres of his PAK.

The image was vague, but he recalled sitting on the couch with GIR earlier today, watching that ugly simian of a beast on the TV. How on Irk a monkey got his own show is beyond anyone's guess.

There the two were enjoying one another's company, until GIR suggested playing a game of hide and seek.

_"Such an infantile mind, but I should probably just humor him for now. Maybe if I can lower myself to his standards, I can finally understand his foolish ways, and bring forth some form of competence? He is supposed to be an advanced model..." _Zim thoughts droned from earlier today, enticing his current ego with pride – he was such an astonishing thinker...

"Alright, GIR; we will play this juvenile game of yours, and have some fun!"

"Yay I like fun! I go hide, and you count to 1143!"

GIR jumped off the couch to look for a cool hiding place, while Zim covered his eyes and counted to 1143. However, he only reached 365, until he finally got bored, and went to look for GIR.

Despite his best efforts, the Irken could not find his minion anywhere. Even the computer was none the wiser to his whereabouts. So he let it be, thinking how bad of an idea it was to play the stupid game in the first place, and carried on with his work.

Now here he was, alone, without a sidekick to rant about how amazing his new plan was. I suppose he just had to use the next-best thing...

"Minimoose! Come and stand by Zim's side, and help him observe his new, masterful ploy to destroy the _hyoo_mens!" he yelled, bringing his fists infront of his face with a tight squeeze.

The little moose, which was hovering wistfully around the lab with nothing better to do, came floating by his master's side, and gave him one encouraging squeak.

"Nyeh."

"Oh, Minimoose, you always have the right words. Yes, it is an astonishing sight to behold, isn't it? But such is to be expected from the amazing brain of Zim!"

"Witness my ingenious machine; the tunnel excavator of DOOM! Yes, I said Doom! Mwahahaha!" Zim's evil laughter rebounded through his lair, sounding creepy and distorted once it echoed back.

"Do I really sound like that?" he mulled. "Oh, well. Enough distractions! Minimoose, it's time to test drive –"

"Ooooh can I drive?" GIR shouted by his master's side, holding onto a huge lollipop. His dog suit was black and scorched, showing off half his robot face. As usual, GIR's horrific appearance didn't seem to bother him, but it had a stronger effect on Zim.

"Ugh, GIR, don't ever sneak up like that! It's horribly disturbing. Where've you been, anyway? I've looked all over for you."

"I… don't know," GIR said very unsettled. He stared into the abyss with a vapid expression, releasing a cold shiver. Then he licked his lollipop, and made a happy sound of glee.

Zim cocked an invisible brow, and looked on at GIR utterly confused. "_Okay... _Well, now that you're here, you may as well tell me what you think of my new machine. What is your verdict, GIR?"

GIR put a paw to his chin, considering his master's new machine with a look of pure concentration. "Mmmm... it has a pretty round face, like a chubbeh ladeh!"

"What? It isn't supposed to be pretty, GIR; it's supposed… ugh, why did I even bother asking you? You're just –"

"All she needs is some lipstick." GIR ran over to the circular cross-section which bore into the wall, and pulled out a tube of red lipstick as he painted a pair of, surprisingly, nice red lips.

"Aw she looks so beautiful..."

The end result was a huge pair of luscious red lips, painted on the front of Zim's diabolical machine. The alien wasn't too impressed.

"Yeah, we're going to look _so_ menacing burrowing beneath the Earth wearing red lipstick, GIR..." mocked Zim. "What is wrong with you? Get that dirt of my machine. It sickens me."

"Okay," GIR said sadly, and walked over to the face of the tunnel excavator, wiping away the makeup with a wet cloth.

"Now let the test-driving commence, and see what power my creation bestows!"

Zim scurried over, and jumped up into the cock pit to drive the excavator into the thick wall of bare earth he exposed. GIR joined him inside, but Minimoose stayed behind. He didn't feel like digging through tonnes of earth today; he was merely there to observe.

"Let's wreak havoc among these Homo sapiens. Mwahahaha!"

"Homo what?"

"Shut up, GIR. It is merely Latin for Man."

"But I didn't –"

"You're lying! Anyhow, let the tunneling begin!" Zim looked over his control panel with many Irken symbols, and settled for a simple button with a smiley face. But nothing happened. Typical…

"What is this? GIR, what did you do?"

"I dunno," GIR shrugged stupidly, and shoved his lollipop in his mouth.

"Mini_moose_! Check the engines; see what is hindering my plans from –" the machine suddenly roared to life as if it had a life of its own, or maybe it was slow to react? Regardless, Zim was relishing in his glory, savouring every little tremor that seeped through his tiny bones.

The machine bore into the thick wall like a knife through cheese as Zim was triumphant. "Hahaha, yes! Hear me now, humans. You will not know a moment longer of privacy once I, Invader Zim, have weakened your greatest defences –"

"Hey, why we doin this again? Why we tunneling underground like moles? I like moles... Check out mah mole!" GIR pointed to a small black spot on his face, grinning like a happy idiot.

Zim paused mid-laughter, "oh, yeah. I guess I forget to explain. Good job, GIR. In one of your rare and random moments of clarity, you could correct me on my mistake. For that you deserve a cookie." Zim placed a cookie inside the SIR unit's mouth, and the robot couldn't look any more ecstatic.

"Now, where to begin...? Picture the human inhabitants of Earth above us, GIR, all asleep in their warm little beds while we tunnel beneath their homes, ready to sneak up on them unprepared. Rwahahaha," Zim laughed again, but stopped short to cough.

"Wait, what we gonna do when we break into their homes?"

"I guess I haven't thought this through," Zim remarked.

"Well that's _stoopid._"

"You dare to mock the intellect of Z –… I'll figure it out later. Now stop pestering me, GIR. Your questions bore me."

"Okie dokie!" GIR squealed, pulling out a toy ball from his head with a ferret attached. He rolled it about the floor of the cockpit, dragging the fury little animal where ever it went. GIR loved it and applauded every time it started a new course.

Zim rolled his pupil-less eyes, and carried on with his current path to destroy the humans. Of course, he was going to figure out his plan later.

…

Miss Margery Wills -a young mother of two- was getting ready for her second job behind the bar at a strip club. She had a day job as a waitress, but often moon lighted to make ends meet and pay off all her debts. She hated having to leave her children in the hands of the babysitter, her sixteen-year-old cousin, but she had a lot of bills to pay: being a single mother is tough. She loved her children, and did the best she could to give them a proper upbringing.

It was hard enough her son went to skool with the famous Professor Membrane's son. That guy must be loaded. His kids looked so well off, despite being on the abnormal side. But she didn't want her son to feel awful because he didn't have all the latest gadgets like his fellow class mates, especially the Membrane kids, whose gadgets appeared a little hi-tech for this day and age.

From what her son informed, the two were complete outcasts. He was a jock; the strongest boy at his skool. He was always lifting weights and doing press ups. Many girls had a crush on him, and he was even dating a little girl called Zita. She was quite cute from what he told her.

_"Why would twelve-year-olds need to date? Shouldn't they be worried about having cash for candy, or watching cartoons? Kids have changed, not like when I was little playing with dolls. All they care about is having an iPhone nowadays."_

Of course, her son didn't own such an object, nor did he have any wish too. He seemed quite content with his young life. He was a strong, happy boy, unlike his coward of a father, running out on them when things got tough.

"Mom, when we ordering pizza?! I'm starving!" said son shouted up the stairs. Yes, her loving little boy...

"When Chrissie arrives. Can't you wait fifteen minutes, Torque?"

"But I'm hungry!"

"Be quiet, you'll wake your little sister."

"Well when's she coming? She'll probably be late again."

"She's just sent me a text; she's on her way."

"Whatever, I'm gonna lift some weights."

Margery rolled her eyes.

She donned her second uniform for her night shift, a simple black shirt and pants, and tied her long brown hair in a pony tail. Then she left the room to go down stairs. On her way across the hall, she heard a small cry from her little girl's bedroom, so she poked her head through the door that was left ajar.

Through the darkness, she could just make out her brown hair beneath the quilts, and her small, shivering form. Concerned, she made her way to her bed, and settled upon the mattress to pull the quilts off the little girl.

"Sweetie, what's the matter? Did you have another nightmare?"

"Yeah," she cried. "There was a monster in my room, watching me from over there." She pointed to a dark, shadowed corner." He had red eyes, and his skin was green."

Her skin paled in the dim light of her lamp. This was the fifth night this week.

"Oh Mae don't be scared. It was just a dream; it wasn't real," she comforted, brushing her fingers across her cheek.

"Don't go," she cried, gripping her mother with all her strength. "Please don't go, stay here with me."

Margery did as much as she could to suppress her tears. How could she just leave her child like this? It wasn't right. Her poor little girl needed her.

"I have to go, sweetie. You know we need the money."

"But I'm scared. What if the monster comes back, and I won't have you here to protect me?"

"You've got your big brother; he'll protect you. And Chrissie, you love Chrissie, right?"

She wasn't sure, but it looked like her little four-year-old rolled her eyes upon the mention of the teenage girl's name.

"Look, I'll promise to be here when you wake up first thing tomorrow, alright? Can you be a big girl for mommy?"

"But the monster –"

"He isn't real. How many times do I have to tell you? Monsters aren't real."

"... Okay. I can be brave for you, mommy," she said sweetly.

"That's my girl," she said. "I have to go. Torque will stay with you till you fall back asleep."

Mae nodded her head, holding onto the many stuffed animals around her pillow. Margery gave her a hug, then kissed her forhead. She left the room, but not before turning around to give the girl one last wave.

Once her mother left the room, little Mae pulled the quilts over her head, not wanting to see the far corner of her room where the scary monster lurks. The familiar voices of her brother's protests, and her mother's warning tone gave her comfort. Then someone came into the room, and she looked up to see the brawny silhouette of Torque in the doorway, making his way toward her.

"What is now, squirt? Did you dream about the Boogeyman again?"

"No, it was a little green man, sitting right there watching me."

"You know; there's a little green boy at my school. He's a complete freak. Maybe it was him?"

The girl whimpered and pulled the covers over her head.

"Geez, I was kidding. Can't you take a joke? He has a skin disease or something, and I've beaten him up millions of times. I'd just beat him up again if he were here now."

"You would do that for me?"

"Of course, you're my little sis. I've got to protect you from all the scary monsters. Come on get to sleep. I'll read you a story."

"Thank you, Torque."

"Yeah, sure..." he said and opened up a book. She snuggled in bed and listened to him read a story about kittens.

Margery stood outside the door listening to her children. A smile spread across her lips. She had great kids, despite everything. They were there for one another. She didn't know what she would do without them.

There was a knock at the door, and she sighed knowing who it was. Here comes the world's most dramatic teenager, Chrissie, who brought trouble wherever she went. She walked down the steps, as the doorbell kept ringing and ringing very impatiently.

"Alright, I'm coming!" Margery snapped.

She opened the door to reveal a blonde teenage girl looking very irritated, as if the weight of the whole world nestled upon her shoulders.

"What took you so long?" she said, pushing through the door and throwing her bag on the floor with a frustrated sigh.

"It took me about five seconds to get down the stairs."

"Whatever. You better be paying me extra tonight. I do have a life, you know? My friend was throwing a cool house party with a DJ and everything, and I was at the top of his guest list."

"Aw that's terrible. Poor you..."

"Oh shut up," she snapped." So, where the brats?"

"I won't have you address my children in that way, Chrissie."

"Sorry," she apologised half-heartedly.

Margery pulled the phone from its hook, and put it into the teenager's hand. "I already have a phone, thank you, but I guess I can have this thing too..."

"I want you to order pizza!"

"Pizza? No, no, no. I'm on a diet again."

"I promised my son he could have pizza, so make the call!"

She handed the girl some cash.

"Fine.." She dialled the number for Bloaty's almost automatically like her hand had done it so many times, despite her diet.

"What toppings does he want?"

"All the meat they've got with extra cheese."

"Figures," she remarked. The person picked up, and she ordered, or more less demanded, the pizza with all meat and extra cheese.

"And get here pronto, loser." She hung up as Margery looked at her shocked. "What?" she asked genuinely suprised. "He goes to my skool. We're good friends. Well, we would be if he didn't have so much acne."

She dropped the phone on the couch and slouched in front of the TV, putting some mind-numbing reality show on.

Margery shook her head and looked over at the clock. "I'd better get to work, it almost eight. I've got to be at the bar for nine."

"Don't you mean _strip club?_ Ha-ha," Chrissie laughed.

Margery scowled. "Oh be quiet. That's where you'll be working if you keep up your wild behavior. And I don't mean behind the bar," she added, and made her way out the door.

Chrissie pulled a face once she left, then pulled up her middle finger at the door. "Piss off, bitch."

Margery made her way toward the bus stop, wrapping her coat around her body from the biting chill. She was sure it was going to snow tonight. The air was icy, and it left small tendrils of mist where her breath escaped.

Once she reached the bus stop a couple of streets away, she saw a gang of teenage boys hanging around like hooligans, or apes... They commandeered the area as if were their own. Immediately, she was self-conscious, so she wrapped her coat over her chest.

One of them wolf-whistled when she passed, and she shook her head irritated. They laughed thinking it was the funniest thing they ever did. She was obviously older than them, and they found it hilarious. If only they knew she was going to a strip club, behind the bar to serve drinks, but still. They would probably be more enthusiastic.

The bus came, and she stood up from the frozen seat relieved, holding her hand out for it to stop. It pulled up beside her, and she made her way inside the warm interior and paid her fare. Next she sat down on the front row.

As she sat in her seat, she looked outside the window, seeing an older man shouting abusive things at the ring leader of the pack. Then he pushed him into one of his affiliates.

Through the fogged window, she recognised the man and his typical drunken posture. It was her damned ex Mike; her 'on and off' boyfriend she dated for a few insignificant months. He grew possessive of her, and he was an abusive alcoholic. Her kids didn't need anyone like that in their lives, and neither did she.

Mike looked up at her through the window, grinning drunkenly as the teenage boys were moving away from him fast.

He gave the ring leader of the gang, who ogled Margery, a good drunken thump, just about missing his eye. The kid looked terrified, so they moved as far away as possible. The drunk would probably forget the ordeal in the next five minutes, with his mind being too foggy with alcohol.

Mike still thought she was his woman, and he was determined to get her back. Hopefully, in his drunken stupor, he had forgotten where her house was. She didn't want him showing up there. She sent Chrissie a message to look out for him just as the bus drove off.

…

Zim and GIR sat in silence while deep cold earth crumbled before them. Zim had been quiet for about half an hour now, as all that previous excitement of his venture beneath the Earth washed away. It was just so boring. Was he just supposed to sit here and do nothing? It could take forever!

In his peripheral vision, he could see GIR fiddling with his single antennae, while it twanged like a horrible spring. The repetitive, metallic sound grew louder and louder, drowning out all other sounds which irritated Zim's brain. He was sure his inner ears were bleeding.

His right eye and antennae twitched, provoked by GIR's constant noise. Then it all spiralled out of control, exploding inside of Zim's head like a million fireworks.

"I can't sit here any longer!"

And so Zim pulled the emergency stop which was a long chain on his left, bringing the tunnel excavator to an abrupt halt. The silence after was deafening in comparison to the constant drone of the machine. The only sounds that accompanied them now were Zim's heavy breathing, as he tried to compose himself.

GIR sat and stared with his chin hanging out, surprised at his master's outburst. Zim glanced his way looking sheepish for a second, but then he collected his wits and put on his most authoritative voice.

"This is more complicated than I thought. It could take months, years before we create a labyrinth of tunnels beneath the entire city. What was I thinking? It's definitely not one of my proudest moments. Oh well. We may as well work with what we got. Come on, GIR."

Zim climbed out the cockpit as GIR followed pursuit. Once outside, Zim could see his fine work. There was a long, dark tunnel through the earth stretching far behind the excavator and all the way back to his lab.

A quiet wind drifted down the tunnel, bringing the thick, sweet smell of earth his way. He was impressed but also intimidated by the long tunnel leading into the dark void beyond. Fear struck his tiny heart, but only for a second. Zim was feeling more bold than ever.

By his side, GIR looked up at the wall of the tunnel, waving at a dinosaur skull embedded deep in earth.

"Hi," he waved excitedly and pulled off one of its jagged teeth, then dropped it inside his Tardis-head. There just seemed to be an infinite amount of space inside that SIR's cranium...

Zim composed himself and turned on GIR. "Alright, GIR; now we begin." He pulled out a small device from his PAK, then extended his retractable legs to reach the ceiling of the tunnel, and place the thing through the thick soil above.

Zim lowered himself to the ground looking like a crab in the way his PAK legs sprawled around him. The device he placed in the earth expanded in width as it began to drill up to the surface, making a passage big enough for them to squeeze through.

"Above us now a human home resides, hopefully with all the residents asleep. If not, we'll just have to take some hostages. My research center does look a little drab these days. Ha-ha," he laughed darkly.

GIR nodded in agreement.

"Once above, we'll plant spy bugs around their dwelling, and inject this serum into their veins." He held up a small syringe with thick white goo inside and a few camera/spy bugs.

"Molecular sized bots will sweep through their bloodstream and recombine their DNA, turning them into my slaves. Plus with the spy bugs installed, I'll be able to watch their transformation all the way from the lab. It could take a matter of days for the bots to complete a full invasion of the host, but the humans will be none the wiser..."

"Wait, I thought you said you had no plans? Where do you get all this?" GIR asked, pointing to the syringe in another moment of clarity.

"Silence! I– uh, I happened to have carried them on board the tunnel excavator, thinking they may come into good use. It turns out I was right, so there, ha! You won't be making a fool out of me this time, GIR."

GIR blinked a few times, confused by Zim's accusations, but the Irken ignored his foolish gaze.

"Enough chitchat, let's do this!"

Zim scuttled to the hole he created and looked up at the narrow space, wide enough for him and GIR to fit through. A tiny light flashed up above, declaring that the drill had reached the surface.

"It is time, GIR. Let this be the first phase of our greatest plan to … uh… Just come over here!"

GIR skipped over to Zim as the Irken hugged him to his chest, and began to climb the tunnel up above, using his PAK legs to grip into the soil.

On Zim's command, GIR used his bright, cyan eyes so they could see through the dark. Now they had a blue, foggy light while they ascended the tunnel, creating distorted shadows through the narrow space. It was quite scary, but not enough to thwart this Invader and his mission.

"I know; let's play a game. I spy with my _Cyan _eye…"

Zim's cry of protest echoed down the tunnel and back towards the abandoned excavator. Hopefully, climbing so many feet to the Earth's surface shouldn't take too long.

...

Chrissie sprawled across the couch with her eyes clued to the TV; channel surfing like no other teenager had done before. After about ten flicks of garbled TV dialogue all mixed in one, she finally settled on another reality show about the rich and famous (seriously, isn't anyone else getting sick of these?).

_"That's the worst nose job I've ever seen, and that dress makes her look so fat! It would look much hotter on me…"_

The sound of the doorbell brought her out of her daydream, and she pursed her lips rising from the couch; she really looked pissed for some stupid reason. She opened the door where a tall, gangly teenage boy stood covered in acne. In his hands he held a pizza box. There was a large pig and the name 'Bloaty's' written across the front.

"Here's the pizza you _order_–"

She snatched the pizza from his hands, then threw the money in his face. "Yeah, now get lost. And don't forget to finish _our _science project for Monday morning. " She shut the door with her hips, and carried the pizza into the kitchen.

Outside, the pizza delivery boy looked very dissatisfied. "Thanks for the tip," he remarked, sarcastically, " I love you..." His shoulders slumped, and he left the door looking totally depressed. Too bad his crush was a complete bitch.

Chrissie opened the box and gagged mockingly, pretending that the pizza made her sick. They seemed to get the toppings about right, so she made her way to the bottom steps, and called for the boy to get his food.

"Torque, come get your stinkin pizza!"

The sound of a door opening ensued, and then the heavy footfalls of the preteen boy came crashing down the stairs. "Finally, I'm starving. I was gonna eat that four week-old piece of super toast beneath the wardrobe if it didn't get here sooner. "

"Eww! Like I really needed to hear that! Hurry up and eat. I want you in bed ASAP. I'm expecting someone."

"Who's the poor guy you're dating now?"

"We're not dating; we're just friends"

"I'm twelve, not eight, Chris. I have a girlfriend now."

"Pfft, who would wanna date you?"

"I could say the same thing for you. You're not as pretty as you think."

She smacked the back of his head, which hurt her more than it did him, literally.

"Hey, quit it!" he snapped.

"I'll have you now that I used to model swim wear when I was thirteen. I already had the right body shape and everything."

"So, who cares? Old men were probably perving on you anyway."

"Why wouldn't they?" she asked, slyly. He scowled at her as she laughed, making her way to the living room while the boy ate his pizza.

Just as Torque was on his last slice, lifting a weight in his spare arm, there came another knock at the door. Chrissie jumped up in alarm and checked herself in the mirror, quite happy with what she saw.

"Torque, hurry. He's here."

"I'll go when I've done fifty pumps," he called.

She growled and made her way to the front door. Her whole body language changed as soon as she saw who it was, and she bit her bottom lip.

A tall, good-looking boy, about eighteen, stood under the porch, grinning down at her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she replied in a breathy voice. In the kitchen, Torque shook his head. What kind of chat-up line was that? She invited him inside and took his coat, hanging it on the wall where all the best coats were kept.

"Right this way," she said, and he made his way through the living room, smelling the familiar scent of pizza.

"Cool, we havin pizza?"

"No, that's my twelve-year-old cousin. And he's almost finished!" she yelled for Torque's convenience.

The boy looked disappointed, "oh, well that's alright."

"I can make you a sandwich if you like?" Chrissie suggested, putting on her sweetest voice.

"Yeah, okay, but don't forget to cut the crusts off. I hate them."

Chrissie's smile vanished at once.

"Pfft, what kind of man doesn't want crusts on his bread? That's the part that makes you strong." Torque came through from the kitchen, lifting a weight in his hand while drinking a can of poop in the other. Multi-tasking to the extreme...

Chrissie's 'friend' looked taken aback at the sight of him." T-twelve?" he asked, looking at Chrissie incredulously, who shrugged confused by his surprise.

"Geez, the kid even looks big for fifteen!"

"His dad was a boxer, and he lifts a lot of weights and stuff. One time he even fit a whole potatoe in his mouth... "Chrissie explained, still dazed by his questioning.

"Yeah," Torque said, "and remember that when you're fooling around with my cousin." Torque crushed his empty can of poop between his hands, reducing it to a barely recognisable shape. The boyfriend gulped and stepped back, while a bead of visible sweat ran down his temple.

Torque glared at him for a few more taunting seconds, then began to ascend the stairs. Chrissie, who looked unsure of what to do, followed behind her cousin with an unforgiving scowl.

He raised his brow. "What?"

"Just get to bed, Torque. It's almost ten o'clock."

"I was on my way, anyway. I don't need you to tell me what to do."

Chrissie sighed and brushed him off, not bothering to give him a retort. Then she made her way to her 'friend'.

"I'm sorry about that. He can be quite intense. It's not his fault. His old man ran out –"

"It's alright; he's just concerned for you. That's fine."

"Thank you for understanding," she said. "Go on sit down; we're gonna watch a DVD. I'm makin some popcorn, oh, and one sandwich." And she bounced off toward the kitchen.

He sat on the couch and flicked through the channels, remembering Torque's threat. He really thought he was going to get lucky tonight, but that threat loomed over his mind, making him quiver.

_"There's no way that kid's twelve..."_

Across the street the drunken shape of Mike hovered by a street lamp, who looked up at the house dazed. He was sure it was Margery's place, but his mind was too fogged with alcohol to recall. However, some innate instinct had brought him here from memory.

He saw the young, handsome man walk through the door, and it all spiralled out of control. If this was Margery's house, then who the heck was that she was inviting inside?! Was she cheating on him?

With his senses muddled by drink, and the idea of his woman bringing a younger man into her house to fool around, it made his skin boil. He couldn't recollect seeing said 'girlfriend' leaving for work earlier. He must have forgotten in his clouded state of mind. All he knew was what he saw at present. That can't be normal, how much has this guy had to drink...?

He was going to show her up. No one cheats on him. After all, he was the alpha male, not some dork of a teenager.

…

"Is it… mud?"

Zim and GIR had ascended the tunnel now for forty-five minutes, but no matter how much further they climbed, that blinking light wasn't getting any closer. He mentally cursed himself for this stupid mission. Luckily, he wasn't tired, for he had the use of his PAK legs to do all the work for him. But he was getting sick of GIR, who just wouldn't shut up. Why does he even bring him along on these things?

They played his game of 'I spy' the whole time as Zim still didn't guess the answer. What else in the tunnel starts with the letter M?

That was the fifth or sixth time he said 'mud'. Another time he said 'mole', referring to GIR's spot on his face, which was wrong, of course. And then he said, 'mission', referring to the mission at hand, and finally, 'megalomaniac'. Who he was referring to for his last answer was anyone's guess.

"Nope," GIR said.

"I give up, GIR. You have bested me in this game, of_ I spy_. Now be quiet! I believe we're getting closer to the surface."

"Would you like to know the answer?"

"No."

"It was MASTAH!" GIR exclaimed, squashing Zim's cheeks together with his hands, which turned his face all chubby like a baby's. "And Mastah is you!"

Zim looked like he was about to erupt. All that time, the answer was so simple. He held his breath and counted to ten, letting the anger pass through his system.

"Get your paws off my face, GIR, and no more stupid games. I'm beginning to get sick of your child-like behavior, even if it is part of your 'advanced' programming."

"Aw but it's so fun. You're just a boring old fart!"

"Fart? How dare of you to refer to the might of Zim with – … oh look; we're finally here!"

Above their heads, the blinking light continued on the bottom of a flat disk. Zim pressed a button to make it stop. The only light that shone on it now was the blue of GIR's eyes. The drill had done its job, creating a hole on the surface and placing this flat disk to hide its whereabouts until they arrived.

He opened up a small buttoned panel then dialled a code, making the thing shrink back into its original form and back into his hands.

Through the gaping hole all was dark, but there seemed to be a shaft of light coming from somewhere nearby. With no time to lose, Zim climbed out the hole and placed GIR on his feet. He withdrew his PAK legs and inspected the area with GIR's eyes as a source of light.

It appeared they were in some old, secluded place that hadn't been in use for a long time. Curious, Zim walked over to a far wall where a grandfather clock towered above. He tapped the pendulum, making the thing swing from side to side for the first time in years.

"This is nothing but junk. All of it! Where are we?"

He looked over at GIR, who was contemplating a sepia portrait of a scary lady. GIR grabbed a marker from his head and drew a moustache on her face, making her look much better...

"He-he-he," he giggled.

"GIR!" Zim whispered loudly, trying to keep low-key, "stop playing around with that dusty old picture; you don't know where it's been."

"Yeah I do, it's been right here," GIR pointed to the picture.

Zim's eye twitched in irritation.

"We need to find a way out of here. I think it's the humans' basement, which looks as if it hasn't been in use for years. What a waste of space. It would make a fine secret lab..."

"Look over yonder," GIR directed his hand to a thin shaft of light in the shape of a door.

"Excellent! We now have a means of escaping this stink hole! Oh, and GIR; if you ever say _yonder_ again, I'll remove your head, understand?"

"Will you fill it with salted nuts?"

"No, toxic bean sprouts, actually… What am I saying? Let's go and keep quiet! We have to be inconspicuous, GIR, like mice. _Superior _mice," he added, tightening his fists with a leather squeak of his gloves.

"I can do like a mouse." GIR got down and crawled around, making sounds like a rodent.

Zim shifted his eyes, "o_kay_…" he said and made his way to the stairs that led to the doorway. He advanced upon the first step, but immediately jerked his leg back when it squeaked.

To avoid being caught, he shifted to one side of the steps where they were less likely to make noise, and leant against the wall. He advanced slowly, step by step, till he reached the top.

The alien looked down at GIR, then gave a sigh. The SIR unit was still sniffing about on all fours.

"GIR!" he breathed. "There's no time for fooling around. Get up here!"

GIR walked over to the staircase, and just before Zim was about to warn him of the squeaky stair; GIR placed his paws on the step, then somersaulted up the stairs like a reverse slinky. Once he landed on the top by Zim, he looked up enthusiastically, receiving a look of annoyance and a hint of jealousy from said Irken.

Zim walked over to the door and twisted the knob, hoping the door would budge. "Typical. They've locked their door with… locks. I did not see this coming."

"So we go home now?"

"No! Don't be ridiculous, GIR. We've come too far… Hold on. I have a plan; an _ingenious _plan. Witness the amazing trickery of Zim!" He pulled out a small hair pin from his PAK, and slotted it through the key hole to fiddlle about with the mechanism.

"Hey, I see the humans do that on TV."

"I don't know what you're talking about… Ooh it worked. Victory for Zim!"

Zim pulled the door as a sheet of paper peeled away once it opened.

"What is this? They've further barricaded their door with this thin-film of unknown substance. Oh, wait, it's just wallpaper. How silly of me, heh-heh. The humans usually adorn their doors with this stuff. Perfectly normal..."

Zim released his PAK legs, and burnt through the remaining shreds of paper until they burnt to ash. The smell of singed, yellowing wallpaper was nauseating afterwards.

The room beyond looked like a normal human kitchen, with a stack of dirty dishes left by the sink. Someone should really clean those...

"Quiet now, GIR. And remember - _mice_."

GIR gave a salute and got down on all fours, but not before Zim propped him back up again. "No, GIR, just… don't." GIR looked very sad as he stood up on two legs like a good little biped.

Zim sneaked inside the kitchen like a green ninja, minus the suit, then looked this way and that for any humans. Realising the coast was clear, he signalled for GIR to follow, who skipped behind joyfully, only to bump into his master. The look Zim gave him next was priceless.

Footsteps sounded outside the kitchen door. Zim had little time to spare. So he grabbed a hold of GIR, covered his mouth, then sprang up to the ceiling using his spider legs, which could not be more arachnid-like. Each leg was equipped with tiny, spine like-needles to attach to walls, much like a real spider.

The door opened and a blonde-haired human walked through, extremely irritated.

"And don't forget to add ice!" a voice called from beyond the door.

_"And don't forget to add ice,"_ she mocked, pulling a face. Zim and GIR looked at each other as if she were crazy.

She opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of poop cola, then poured it in a glass which she took from the dirty dish pile. She shoved the glass beneath the ice chute, and waited till all the ice fell down. The cola splashed everywhere, but not to worry; it's just a little spilt liquid. No one will trip.

She didn't even notice the new door which magically appeared. Instead, she only made her way through to the other room. Zim could hear the humans talking behind the door, and he gave a sigh of relief.

Well, it looks like some humans were still awake, and he was going to have to stick to his original plan. Oh what a pain it was to have to take human hostages. He decided with his stealth and lighting agility; he would do fine without being caught, and not have to take anyone into custody. Nick was enough to work with for now...

The time on the clock read 10:30, with the small hand pointing to ten and the bigger to six. It was almost midnight in an hour - time to get to work.

He scurried along the ceiling like a four-legged spider (all he needs is four more legs...) and made his way through to the next room, managing to slip through the door unnoticed.

The humans on the couch were watching a movie in silence. Zim studied them a while. They seemed none the wiser to his presence, and he was triumphant. The male did a lame fake yawn, and put his arm over the female's shoulder. It made her happy for some stupid reason. The guy leaned in closer, and sure enough she puckered her lips.

Zim had to leave before it got frisky. He really didn't want to see the act of human mating - that's what Irken documentaries are for. But then to his relief, and to the human girl's disappointment, the guy said, "you've got something on your face," squinting with his eyes to see.

"What?" she asked in horror, then grabbed her compact mirror. She saw that she had, indeed, a small something on her face. It was a coffee granule to be exact. She must have made coffee for someone before... I wonder who?

The boy moved his arm away from her shoulder, then folded it in front of his chest with the other. The girl couldn't look anymore embarrassed as she shook her head, wiping her face of dirt.

Zim sighed and shook his own head, saddened by the lowly creatures before him. The sooner he injected the goo into their veins the better, then he can finally put them out of their misery.

"Aw I really wanted the boy to kiss the girl," GIR reflected. "I'll help him."

"Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
my, oh, my  
look at the boy too shy.  
He ain't gonna kiss the girl..."

Zim covered the SIR's mouth as both humans looked around the room, unsettled by the disembodied singing. But they soon shrugged it off. It was probably just a cat outside, singing… yeah, that seems about right.

"GIR, what are you doing? They'll hear us," Zim whispered to the bot.

"Well _duh _that's the point. I'm trying to set the mood."

Zim glared at GIR with shimmering eyes, then pulled out some duct tape from his PAK, placing a piece over the SIR's mouth. Why he had never thought to do that ever before is astonishing... Simple as that, and his voice was gone.

He gave the teenage humans one more disapproving look, then made his way out of the room and into the next. In his arms, he carried a silent GIR with a tape covered mouth, who looked quite amused by his new attire.

Out of sight, he climbed down from the ceiling and carried GIR in a head-lock, not trusting to let him go. He decided to wait until the humans in the living room were asleep so not to blow his cover.

The serum might be strong, but it wasn't sure to paralyze the humans straight away. Oh well, I quess he could find some more humans upstairs who were sound asleep.

He advanced toward the first step and remembered how the stairs squeaked in the basement, so he decided to climb up with his PAK legs – silent but deadlier, like an insidious spider... He could scuttle around the walls of the house, and place spy bugs before he attempted to attack some unsuspecting victim with his syringe.

He crawled to the top-level of the house, placing spy bugs into the wall which morphed into the plaster. He made a mental note to place some spy bugs downstairs, too.

Just after he installed the last of four cameras into the top floor, a door opened across the hall, and a tall brawny boy, whom he vaguely recalled from the skool, made his way toward the bathroom, then peed into the urinary pot with the door wide open. Zim stuck out his segmented tongue to show his disgust.

After he finished, he walked right beneath Zim. The alien's heart beat that bit faster from past beatings he endured at the hands of this boy. He stopped at the top of the stairs, listening to the sounds from down below.

He shook his head and made his way to his room again. But then he ran down the stairs upon hearing an allusive giggle from the female human. GIR couldn't help but feel proud. His singing must have gotten the mood going for them.

Zim released a breath once he vanished from sight, as his face had grown moist with sweat. GIR prodded his forehead with a cloth to dry him off. That meant one more human was awake. How was he supposed to do his job now? Never mind, suppose he could just wait until they were all asleep. Maybe, there was another human up here sleeping…

He heard a row break out downstairs, hearing the familiar voice of the boy who taunted him at the skool, and the annoying high-pitched whine of the female. Apparently, the kid punched the boyfriend in a fit rage. Hopefully, he knocked him out cold, so Zim's job would be a lot easier.

"I want him outta my house; look what he's done to you!"

"It's just a hicky, Torque! You've never given your little girlfriend one, too?"

"No… her dad's a cop… but still, there's a four-year-old sleeping upstairs!"

"A four-year-old?" Zim said.

He looked toward a door with pink flowers adorned across. His mouth crept into an evil sneer, and so he scuttled to the door, slipping through the crack that was left ajar...

He couldn't see much, but there was a small lump beneath the quilts rising gently, indicating it was fast asleep. Finally, his first victim of the night...

Zim crawled over to the bed until he was directly above the slumbering child. All he could see was a lock of dark hair across the pillow, and a bunch of creepy stuffed animals with glistening eyes.

He began to lower himself from the ceiling, keeping his PAK legs firmly attached to the plaster, while GIR sat on his shoulders. He held a syringe with the gooey white substance, settling his ocular implants on the child's delicate neck.

Without warning, the little human peered up sleepily, and locked her eyes with his. Zim was sure he stopped breathing. He was merely five feet above her now.

She looked up confused at first, but then her dark eyes blurred fearfully, and a small cry escaped her mouth. GIR, oblivious to the awkward moment, waved at her excitedly.

Zim was frozen. He didn't know what move to make next. Kidnap the child now that she had seen him? He watched her cover her face with her quilt, then whisper complete gibberish.

"He's not real; he's just a dream. I'm a big girl…" her small, frightened voice came from beneath the sheets.

Zim decided to slip away since the child was too delirious to make sense of anything. She did mutter something about a dream; he could work with that.

He didn't realise he was sweating once he left the room. Wiping the moist from his forehead, he muttered, "phew; that was close. The mission was almost comprised, GIR, but never fail to underestimate the babies of this planet! They all have a secret agenda. I just know it."

"Aw she was cute," GIR's voice muffled through the duct tape. "Let's be friends…"

Zim was about to protest to the stupid notion of 'friend' until a familiar smell reached his unseen nostrils.

Downstairs, things were being smashed as the family's domestics were still going strong, but that smell… a distant alarm rang inside his head while he tried to remember.

He did know it; there was an Irken equivalent to the substance. He had come into contact with it many a time on Irk, especially during Operation Impending Doom one when caused all those fires…

His heart sank when it hit him. The smell was that of gasoline. Before he could act, a huge explosion erupted downstairs as screaming ensued. It didn't take long for the house to be engulfed in flames.

* * *

**I don't own 'Kiss the girl' Disney does. I just really like that song.**

**Please review and give me some feedback, as it will be greatly appreciated.**

**The next update will be Saturday, or maybe sooner, depending on how many reviews I ****receive, or if something else comes up. It just needs editing first, so I'm sorry, but it's never a good thing to rush.**

**Thank you for reading :)**


	2. Inferno

**A/N: Here's the second part. I won't update chapter three till tomorrow. It's gotten really late, but after that it will be finished. My first completed story :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Zim.**

* * *

...

It was mayhem. The fire engorged the entire house as Zim was hopelessly lost without reason. At the back of his mind, a voice told him to get out while he tried to remember his training from over a century ago. In his arms, GIR turned stiff like a plank of wood. Even the danger of the situation hit home in stupid robot's penny and paper clip brain!

Zim's heart was beating frantically like an enraged animal. Wasting no time, he made his first move by climbing down from the ceiling, while small bits of plaster crumbled away. The fire had devoured the stairs in the short time after the explosion, leaving the air thick with smoke.

Orange flames flickered their way toward him like a predator, prowling ever closer with clawed hands of smoke. This wasn't his first-time encountering fire. He was Invader Zim; he caused the inferno! His passion and will, combined with the power of the Irken Empire, was more potent and devastating than these flimsy flames before him. He plucked up some courage and pulled out a small breathing apparatus from his PAK, then placed it over his lips.

He sneered at the flames as his mask obscured his grin, but all the fire it held manifested in his eyes, reflecting those flames back like blazing gems. His PAK could supply him with clean oxygen while the deadly smoke consumed the air. The fire wasn't going to destroy him. Not now and not ever.

He may be resistant to fire, but no creäture was spared from the devastating effects of smoke, which can suffocate the victim in minutes of exposure. The heat was unbearable, as he could feel himself turning weak with the intensity. He had to leave before it was too late.

It was funny; he had completely forgotten his previous mission. All he wanted to do was get the heck out of the house before he choked to death. But the fire surrounded him, preventing safe passage through the hall in a forest of flames.

GIR cowered in his arms, holding on closer to his master. Zim held him tight. "Don't worry, GIR. I'll get us out of this mess," his voice mumbled through the mask, reassuring the poor bot.

Zim wasn't even sure if all the humans had escaped, but what did he care. His and GIR's safety only mattered to him now.

…

An hour had passed after Margery's shift began at the bar, as she already served a few punters, many whom were drunk, perverted men while they enjoyed the erotic dancing of the club.

It was after she served her tenth drink of the night, when her colleague informed she had a phone call. "It sounds urgent. Your cousin wants you to ring her right away," she said, sounding dire.

Margery, now confused and very alert, took her phone from out of her pocket, and made a call to Chrissie. She went through the back door and into the alley to make the call.

The air was chilly as she took a sudden breath, and prepared herself. Her hands were shaking, knowing something was terribly wrong, despite the many phone calls she received every time Chrissie took care of the kids about some crises or other.

The girl picked up after the third ring, very distressed, "Maggie, come home quick! T-the house, it's –"

"I can't hear you, Chris, speak up! What is it?!" Margery shouted.

"The house, it's on fire!" she cried. "I don't know what to do, I'm scared..."

Margery felt her insides turn cold as the taste of bile made its way to her throat. She repressed the urge to vomit, trying to keep calm.

"Is everyone out of the house? Have you called the fire brigade?!"

"There on their way, and no –"

"What? Who the hell is still –?"

"Mae! I-I didn't know what to do… It happened so fast, she was asleep and –"

Margery acted almost immediately. She hung up on Chrissie and ran to the front of the club, making a beeline for the first cab she saw that pulled up. A couple were about to get inside, as Margery pushed them out the way.

"Hey, what the hell –" the girl started.

"Move out the way!" Margery yelled.

The girl staggered back. She was a stripper at the bar, a nice girl, as she held her fella's arm for support. The guy made room for the Margery, who by this point looked like a woman on the edge, not wanting his girl to get a good bitch slap, or even worse...

Inside the cab, she barked at the driver, giving her address as he stepped right on it. It would take at least twenty minutes to get to the house. Hopefully, the fire brigade gets there in time…

In the cushioned seat of the cab, Margery's head began to spin. It didn't seem real. She felt as if she were in some horrible dream. Her mouth tasted of acid from the bile she tried to repress before. So she breathed in and out with shaky breaths, trying to compose herself, but it only helped a little. Her heart beat so wildly inside her ears, it was deafening, drowning out all other sounds.

She tried not to think of the inevitable. Her baby girl will be alright; she'll be safe. No harm will come her way…

A tear dripped from her eye as she gave a silent prayer.

_"Please let her be okay."_

…

Zim was battling the flames as they scorched his skin several times, but he didn't' let them thwart him. He was going to come out victorious. However, despite his best efforts, it was hopeless. The flames were enclosing him, and he was losing all his wits.

His skin may be more tolerant of fire than the average human, but he still wasn't taking any chances. As long as he had the rebreather, then he was alright. But the Earth authorities would be here soon if he didn't act quickly.

GIR sat upon his master's shoulders, gripping onto the Irken's antennae like a frightened child. Zim could feel him trembling, so he closed his eyes, and ran through a thick wall of fire and behind a door that was left ajar.

He wasn't sure which room he ran into, but it didn't matter anymore. He just needed to get out the hall where the fire was devouring the entire landing, burning a hole into the floor that fell down to the room below. He was lucky to have gotten away just in time; he would have gone crashing through the floor and into another pit of flames.

The flames hadn't made their way to this room yet, but the thick smoke engulfed the atmosphere, making it harder to see. In the black, foggy room, he could just see a window. So he hurried on over, securing his mask over his mouth.

"Hold on tight, GIR. We're getting out of here."

The mask muted his voice, but the robot understood him perfectly. Zim extended his PAK legs and aimed them at the window, deciding to blast a hole right through the wall. There was precious little time to spare.

GIR held his master's antennae for dear life, squeezing his eyes shut. The smoke didn't harm him like it did a living creäture, but the heat was still too intense, and he didn't want to melt into a metal lump.

He heard a small wheezing from across the room, which piqued his interest. So he looked over as his eyes shone blue through the thick smoke, settling upon a bed were a motionless lump lay. The realisation hit GIR at once.

Just as Zim's lasers heated up, GIR grabbed a hold of his head, facing it towards the right of the room. As his vision adjusted, Zim could make out the outline of a bed. Confused for second, he didn't know what GIR was trying to tell him, until it came crashing back.

A spark ignited inside his eyes, and a sense of determination washed through him, giving him the courage he sought.

Zim rushed to the bed, and pulled the quilt off the child who lay still as stone. If he didn't act quickly, the girl could suffocate as the room was with thick with smoke, if he wasn't already too late…

Without a second thought, he pulled his mouth-piece off his face, and placed it around the child's lips, giving her fresh air to breath. He was exposed to the smoke once again, giving all his clean oxygen to this little human child.

Her breathing was shallow, but she was alive, and it made him glad. He lifted her in his arms, shifting her weight until he got a firm hold.

Her lids fluttered open, revealing small brown eyes between dark lashes. Her eyes met his. Zim gazed down, seeing something that wakened an innermost part of his being, which he couldn't place. But the longer he stared into her curious eyes, it poured through his body like sweet honey, spreading warmth to once cold regions.

Without warning, she placed a delicate finger across his face, gently caressing his cheek with circular patterns. Zim flinched from her touch, noticing how the warm glow in his spooch flowed through his body. GIR could feel it too, and so he relished, peering down at the girl. He gave her head a little pat, and made a soft sound like sighing.

Zim's breathing became strained as his throat began to swell, burning his windpipe and preventing the passage of air getting through. He staggered back, but managed to keep a firm grip on the girl.

GIR directed his master's movements by pulling his antennae like a pair of reins, and guiding him toward the window where they could escape to freedom. It was a good job GIR was here after all...

Zim was dazed as the smoke breached his breathing chambers, making him disoriented. His world began to spin as the window wouldn't stay in one place. With all the willpower he could muster, he activated his PAK legs, and blasted the transparent opening, creating a brilliant light.

Fresh cold air swept through the room, as Zim inhaled deeply, inviting clean oxygen through his gullet. He stepped toward the edge and tightened his grip around the child, and began to descend to ground with his spider legs.

Once on the ground, he placed her gently on the wet lawn, letting her inhale a few more breaths from the rebreather till she was ready to breathe. She inhaled a lot of smoke, so she was lucky to be alive.

Zim removed the mouth piece and held her up so she could breathe. She gasped for a while as fresh air settled in her lungs, but eventually, her breathing steadied to a normal rhythm.

He supported her head against his arm, as she gazed up more alert. Zim studied her face, looking for any sign of fatigue, but she seemed to be regaining strength.

A small, shy smile spread across her lips. "Thank you," she said, weakly.

The alien startled as his antennae twitched. "Uh, you're welcome," he said, puzzled.

Snow and ash began to fall from the sky as the flakes flecked her dark hair. Neither of them barely felt the cold, having come from the heat of the fire, but they kept each other warm in their embrace.

Zim heard the commotion from the front of the house. Many humans were around, so he would have to leave soon. But he stayed with the child a little longer until he knew she was safe. Someone would realise she was missing eventually.

He fixed his eyes on the gaping hole that he left in his wake, seeing the tongues of rippling flames trying to swallow them back up into the house.

His eyes sharpened into hateful slits, and he glared at the flames like living entities. Fire was in a sense alive, and should be treated with the respect of any animate creäture.

So he lifted the girl in his arms, and scurried over to a safer part of the yard beneath a tree, where they were out of reach of the flames.

GIR jumped down from Zim's shoulders, and nestled himself between their hold. It was comfortable here as the child's eyes drooped tiredly in his arms, but it was best she stayed awake if … he didn't dare to think about it.

"Um, sorry I scared you," his voice rang clearly, rousing her slightly. He couldn't think of what else to say, but speaking to her will stop her falling asleep.

She smiled up at him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You were a nice monster after all," she said cheerfully. Zim didn't know what she meant exactly, but he let her continue, as long as it kept her mind occupied.

…

The taxi pulled up outside of the house, and chaos soon followed. Fire engines pulled up as other firemen were already present, breaking into the burning house and dousing the fire. All the neighbours had come out to watch in horror.

The sight frightened Margery, seeing her home consumed by flames, but she had more pressing matters on her mind now.

She ran towards the house, attempting to break in and rescue the girl herself, but a fire fighter held her back.

"Mae!" she screamed. "Mae!"

"Please, step back, miss, we're doing all we –"

"Let me go. My little girl needs me!"

The mother of two wriggled out of his arms, but only to collapse to the floor, knowing it was too late no matter what they did now. So she sobbed into her hands, creating loud, garbled cries that rang through the cold air.

Chrissie appeared from a small crowd of people, making her way toward her cousin with a tear-stained face. She wrapped some of her blankets around the woman's shoulders, but Margery attacked her at once. The girl yelped as a neighbour had to drag Margery away before she caused any damage.

"How could you just leave her in there, you stupid, selfish bitch?!"

"I'm sorry," the teenager cried. "I-I couldn't –" she broke down sobbing as her date came over from a parked ambulance, and hugged her to his chest. Then he led her away.

Margery saw Torque with a few paramedics, breathing into an oxygen mask to rid his body of carbon monoxide. She rushed over and gripped him into an embrace, hugging him as tight as she could. She sobbed into his hair, while gently caressing his soft, downy head.

He cried too, not wanting to believe any of it. She wasn't gone. His little sister was alright. They would be together again, all three of them.

"I love you, Torque. I promise never to leave you. You mean everything to me," she breathed into his hair, making the boy sob harder.

"She ... she can't be dead. She's just f-four –" he couldn't continue as he choked on his sob.

"It's alright; everything will be alright. My baby boy…" He held on to her as she rocked him slowly, trying to ease his tears while her own poured down her cheeks.

A lifetime later, the chief fireman approached the young mother and her son, sitting alone on the edge of the road. By now, all the fire had put out, leaving a horrible, scorched mess of a house in its wake. It was hard to believe her house was gone, that old place she hated as a child when she used to visit her grandmother.

That crazy old lady, who locked up all her possession in her basement, then went as far to coat the door with wallpaper to keep it from sight. Everything that brought her grandmother pain of her past was locked away forever deep in that basement. She never got the chance to look down there, being too nervous about what she might find. Her grandmother's house was given to her in her will, and now it was gone…

"Miss, we've searched the entire house. There's no sign of your daughter. We looked in her room … there's a huge hole –"

"What?" she said. "What are you saying? Where's my daughter?! Her body should –…" she stopped herself, not bearing to think of the remains of her child.

"It's hard to explain, but we're not sure where she is, or how that hole was created. We believe the blast originated down downstairs."

"I don't understand. She should be in her bed, sleeping … I promised I'd be back when she woke up…"

A searing pained teared through her chest, leaving her broken heart exposed to the harsh, cold reality. It was over four hours ago when she made that promise to Mae …

"We're confused ourselves, but you're absolutely positive she was inside the house?"

"Of course I'm positive. Ask my son!"

"But there's no sign of her, just a huge hole. This is something for the police or FBI –"

"Just give me a second to digest this, please. You're overwhelming me."

"Alright, I'm very sorry. There are two police officers who wish to talk to you. We think it was arson..."

She didn't take notice of what he just said, as he simply left her alone with her thoughts. How could her daughter not be in the house? Where the heck was her little girl? They had to be lying; something wasn't right. No one was telling her anything. It left her angry with red-hot rage.

"Mom, what are they talking about? Mae was definitely in her room. I put her to bed!"

"I know, Torque. Just give me minute." She fixed her gaze on the yard, "I'm going around the back, alright."

"What for?"

"I just need to be alone with my thoughts. I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay, but don't take long."

Margery saw the police officers talking to Chrissie and her date, so she slipped away from sight, not wanting them to notice her. She asked for her and her son to be left alone for a while to adjust.

She made her way around the back of the house to her daughter's bedroom, and gasped in shock at what she saw. She vaguely recalled the fireman telling her something about a hole, but she hadn't been paying much attention. All she heard was that her daughter was nowhere to be found, creating a horrible feeling of dread and confusion all over. The news of the gaping hole didn't make sense to her, which was why her brain didn't reflect upon it sooner.

But now as she gazed up in shock, there was no way she could deny the huge hole exposing the interior of her little girl's room. Where had it come from? Did something happen to her little Mae? Where was she? None of it made sense. She gripped her head in frustration, trying to think of a logical reason behind all of this.

Her head began to swim as her vision became blurred from anxiety. She just wanted her little girl back in her arms...

She looked away from the huge hole in her house involuntarily, wanting the ground to swallow her up and take her from this harsh, cruel world. But she had her son to think of now. She was all he had.

Her eyes settled on the end of her yard beneath a tall, shadowed tree. When her eyes focused, she could make out small shapes like children. One of the child's eyes reflected back to her like a cat's in the dim light of the street, and the littlest had the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. Then her eyes caught the slight, familiar movements of a dark-haired girl, moving limply in the arms of the cat-eyed stranger.

It hit her now, who that girl was...

"M-Mae? Mae!" she screamed, making her way to the creatures without a second thought.

The two beings moved away at once, and disappeared behind some trees over her fence. She ran to her daughter and scooped her up in her arms

"Mommy!" the girl cried in excitement.

"Oh, Mae, you're alright. I'm so glad you're safe, " she slurred all in one sentence, breaking into a sob. "I love you so much," she choked.

Mae held her mother as Margery stroked her smoke scented hair, planting a tight kiss on her head.

"How did you…?" Margery asked herself.

"The monster saved me. He was good all along, mommy!"

"Monster? What are you –?"

Margery had already forgotten about the strange creatures. She made her way to her fence, and peered through the dark trees behind. There was no sign of them anywhere. She wondered whether they had been there at all. It couldn't have been her imagination; they were so real. They definitely weren't human, whatever they were. Was it her daughter's monster…?

"Mommy, I'm cold," her daughter's voice brought her back to reality.

She walked over to her small child who looked well for just escaping out of a burning house. The fact that she was cold was a good sign, but her mind only dwelled on one thing; those two beings. What were they? And where were they now?

Her attention was brought to a whispering sound high up in the branches of a tree. She looked up and gasped, feeling her hair stand on end.

A pair of round, glossy eyes stared down at her through the leaves. The creäture looked just as frozen and clueless as she. It was hard to distinguish its colours, but its skin looked a greyish, pale green in the dim light, as its eyes appeared black with a red hue. She thought she saw long insect feelers atop it head for a second, but they drew back protectively against its skull.

Her whole body turned cold with fear while a tiny voice remained in the back of her head, reminding her of her daughter's rescue at the hands of this … she didn't know what it was.

It was only then she noticed the smaller creäture with shining blue eyes. Its eyes shone so bright, that it was hard to see anything else. Her vision soon adjusted and all she could describe was a small metal child grinning and waving.

It was like meeting two of the world's most weirdest monkeys, which clung to the tree branches high above her head.

"Hi," her daughter greeted upon seeing the two.

The sound of Mae's voice seemed to bring the creäture back to itself, shaking its head dazed. The expression was unsettling when portrayed on the face of anything other than human.

It appeared to have a conscious mind of its own, attaining the emotional complexity of any person she knew. It's eyes locked onto hers, carrying the look of deepest sympathy, until it disappeared in a flash of movement like a frantic animal, taking the metal child with it.

Its sudden movements surprised Margery, and she did something totally unexpected. "Wait!" she heard herself say. Combined with her curiosity and gratitude, she didn't want them to leave.

Now they were gone and she probably wouldn't see them again. Why didn't she thank them when she had the chance? It was the least she could do.

It never occurred to her what they were doing in her house. Maybe her little girl's nightmare was true all along, but revealed itself as a blessing in disguise; a guardian angel.

Who said angels had to be the beautiful women they were in art? If it hadn't been there, what would have happened to her Mae? The regret she felt for not thanking the creäture pricked at her heart.

She turned to her daughter who was shivering in the cold, so she scooped her up in her arms and carried her to the front of the house.

What was she going to tell everyone? It didn't make sense. But now that she had seen the evidence, it seemed to fit together like a confusing puzzle. There were still missing pieces left, but she didn't care about any of that. Her little Mae was safe, unharmed and alive. She never felt so grateful in all her life, and thanked whoever heard her prayers for sending those angels.

…

Zim had never moved so fast that night after the fire. Even with the extra velocity of his spider legs, he still felt worn out and weak with fatigue when he finally arrived back at his base.

He carried GIR in his arms, who was back to his foolish self again. No matter what evil may raise its ugly head, they never hindered that little robot. Maybe it was a technical glitch of his programming, but it would be nice to have a similar outlook on life. Now that the fears were gone from sight, all was well with the world.

Once Zim had opened the door of his base, he slammed it shut as if to lock out anything that may have followed him home. His chest was heaving with his rapid breaths, as he was sweating right through to his clothes. Even the absorbent fibres of his standard Invader uniform couldn't suck up all the moisture on his skin fast enough, because more sweat would arrive.

He was seen in all his alien glory by a human due to his negligence. It was one of the first things they taught during training: focus on the mission at hand, never get distracted, always be alert for danger, and by all means don't get your cover blown! And look what he did, expose himself with no disguise in the eyes of the enemy. That's a big 'do not' in the academy, even if Zim wasn't listening at the time. Give him a break. It was over a century ago now.

His arm was shaking so he moved it over his head, and brushed back his antennae with a trembling claw. He could feel how tense and rigid they were. Each hair on his antennae stood on end, making him more sensitive to acute sounds. Now the tiny sound of a spider weaving its web in the far corner of the wall was audible.

When an Irken is terrified, their antennae detect faint sounds to pick up on distant vibrations of incoming danger. It was a natural ability from their ancestors, passed down on to them.

With this extra ability to pick up sounds, he tuned in on the street, but heard no human footsteps. In his head, he suspected a huge mob of humans with torches to come his way, and have him locked away in some scientific facility. His heart was pumping loudly that he even his spine covered antennae could hear the beats, sounding so foreign out of his body.

He looked up at GIR who was staring at him curiously, wondering why his master was acting strange. As far as he knew, they were safe again now that they were out of the fire, and the little girl was back with her mother.

"I've messed up, GIR. What are we going to do? She saw us, that human mother looked right through us. I was sure my heart stopped beating for a second. I just don't know what came over me. That whole reuniting with her daughter seemed to subdue me, making me vulnerable to an attack! How could I have been so foolish?"

"I don't think –"GIR started.

"The first thing we need to do is to get rid of the evidence. Maybe if we can refill the tunnel leading to her house; she won't be able to expose us to her fellow pig smellies. There were many authoritative figures that witnessed our incredible escape. That hole is unmistakably alien and not _hyoo_men by a slightest. They'll suspect something out of the ordinary right away."

"I don't think we gots nothing to worry about," GIR continued. "She didn't seem mad. Maybe she was happy we saved her little cub."

"Wishful thinking, GIR. Don't ever underestimate the enemy! They won't care whether we've saved one of their own. They'll still hunt us down and dissect us for information. And I don't mean that figuratively. They won't rest once they have our internal organs!"

"I really think she was happy about what we did. I don't think she will tell on us. It's not like we did a bad thing; we did good. The little-girl cub is safe. We saved her from the fire!"

Zim reflected upon his saving of the child. He had never done anything like it. It usually filled him with joy to see someone burn; mostly by flames he caused. But still, he had never felt like that before. It surely cost him his life, twice over. He could have died in that smoke-filled room, and now he was sure to be killed once the humans find out about his mission.

Nevertheless, he was surprised by how much it didn't bother him with the knowledge that the little girl was safe. He felt that warmth inside of him again spreading through his veins and back to a central core, making his heart swell.

"I hope you're right, GIR. But we're not heroes, we never will be. "

"Just because you say so don't mean it ain't true." GIR yawned, "I'm sleepy. I think I go to bed. See you in the mornin." With that GIR's eyes shut with a metal covering, and he dozed off, falling to the ground snoring.

Zim didn't remember programming him to do that, but never mind; at least he was alone to reflect on his thoughts. GIR's irrational conclusions were irritating him, preventing him from seeing right. Maybe, he really didn't have anything to worry about. He wished he could believe it.

Where had the fire come from? Zim would have moved right on out if he suspected any human appliance to go ablaze. That fire was unexpected, and the only time he detected it, it was already too late.

He couldn't fathom it. Could it be possible that another human caused the fire? Why would they do that? They were on the same side. He was a master arsonist himself, but why would some other human do it?

None of it made sense, but he felt angry about it now. Someone had tried to endanger his life while he was still in the house. He nearly died tonight, and that human child. That second thought ignited his anger to a burning rage, and he had never felt so eager to destroy the existence of one human, except the Dib, but this was different. Dib was just irritating, that arsonist made him feel hatred at its purest.

He had half a mind to go out and destroy that human. Surely he/she would stink of gasoline right about now. He realised it would be pointless. Many of Earth's authorities were probably looking for him/her, and he didn't want them to capture him too. He let it be, and made his way to his lab to clean up the mess he left behind.

...

The next few days went by in a blur for Margery. So many police officers had come in and out of her sister's house (where she was staying until things got back on track), asking her questions, hinting for any clues that may have started the fire. Margery guessed the first person who was capable, though she was shocked, angry, and disgusted.

The police were right on his trail, and Mike was found the next day, sleeping with a wretched hangover in his dirty little apartment in the same clothes. It didn't help him either that he smelt of gasoline.

He looked surprised when the police showed up at his place, taking him away for crime he couldn't remember committing. Over the course of the next few days, as he was taken into custody, the memory of the night came back in an array of images (just like all drunken nights do). But he denied it all regardless, saying they had the wrong guy, and that Margery was just angry with him for sleeping with her friend while they were still going out.

Even if Margery had known about his cheating on her, she probably wouldn't have cared much. That's how loveless their relationship was. The man was scum and deserves everything he gets. Thirty-three years old, and his life was over, hopefully, if justice is served.

The kids were at skool while all this was going on, but she nearly blew a fuse when the police starting prodding her little Mae for questions. She had been through enough.

Mae had said the monster saved her, but they put it down to her being delirious due to the inhalation of too much smoke, which didn't make sense. The idea was preposterous anyway. Margery hadn't spoken of said monster, worried about how crazy it would make her look, despite the sharp evidence.

The fire and little Mae's mysterious escape had made the front page of the newspaper, so a lot news reporters made their way to Margery, too, who was just about fed up with all the questioning. All she cared about was that scum got what he deserved. And boy, was she going to get the best lawyer in town with all her savings for the court hearings.

She had apologised to Chrissie since it wasn't the poor girl's fault, but she forgave Margery, understanding why she acted the way she did. Chrissie still felt guilty for leaving little Mae. But now that the child was safe, all that didn't matter.

I suppose three casualties would have been worse than one if either Torque or Chrissie decided to go up and save her. It would have killed them; the stairs were engorged in fire. It's a natural instinct to run from fire. All animals do.

Torque was shaken by the whole ordeal, and you should have seen his face when he heard of Mike causing the fire. He fetched his pair of boxing gloves he got for Christmas, which fortunately were left at his aunt's house, and attempted to go visit the man in prison twenty years his senior, and make him black and blue beyond recognition.

Just twelve years old and he had so much fight in him. You can see why an extra-terrestrial, with years, centuries of training would be intimidated around this boy. Besides, Torque still hadn't forgiven Zim over the whole Dookie Weenie name calling…

Margery was alone in the house as her sister was at work. Her boss had given her the day off, but her boss at the strip club fired her for running off without a word. He was a complete jerk; he only hired her because she had a nice pair of breasts to attract punters. It was quite the emergency. You would think he would be more sympathetic.

Well, at least she still had her job at the restaurant. Her boss there was a fairly decent guy, though he didn't know about the whole moon-lighting thing, which she did part-time. She wanted to spend more time with her kids, anyway, so it was probably for the best.

She was washing a few dishes when the doorbell rang, startling her sister's dogs –who have been quite excitable about all the human visitors, lately – barked in protest, warding of the intruder like dogs do.

She dried her hands and made her way to the front door sighing, wondering what news reporter was here now. The dogs were hovering by the front door restlessly, one labrador and one terrier, which made it funny in comparison with the deep-voiced barks of one dog, and the high-pitched yaps of the littler, trying to outdo one another.

"Sit," Margery commanded, standing over them in an assertive manner, making both dogs sit on their behinds with whines of protest. They were well-trained dogs regardless, and Margery fancied herself a dog whisper in the way they obeyed. She should get the kids a pet sometime, though they would probably want two entirely different animals, like a rabbit or snake.

She opened the door, expecting to see the fake smile of a nosey, spectacled news reporter, but instead was faced with the large-headed, spectacled gaze of a boy in a black trench coat whom she vaguely recalled.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"Mrs. Smackey?"

"Miss Wills, actually. I'm not married."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "My name is Dib. I go to skool with your son?"

"Dib Membrane? What brings you here? Torque didn't beat you up again, did he?"

"No, no, he's alright. We're kind of on good terms now."

"Oh, well that's good to know."

"May I come in? I need to speak with you. It's quite important."

"Sure, okay…" Margery said confused, letting him inside. "Shouldn't you be in skool?"

"Oh, I got my dad to sign a doctor's note. He is technically a doctor with his three PhDs and all, but that's beside the point. I needed the day off to come see you, ma'am. It's about… Aahhhh!"

Dib was suddenly attacked by two dogs as they licked him to death. "Get them off, get them off. I have a fear of dogs since that whole baloney episode."

"Gus, Bella, get down!"

She pulled both dogs away by their collars from a saliva-covered Dib, who wiped his glassess clean. He never looked so replused, and he didn't smell too good now either. The scent of wet dog lingered on his clothes, and the animals weren't even wet in the first place... Margery let the dogs out in the back to play while she spoke with the unexpected visitor.

Dib sat at the kitchen table as Margery offered him a hot beverage. He declined, but agreed on a can of poop. She sat across the table as things were awkward and quiet at first. Dib drummed his fingers noisily, looking lost in his thoughts. Margery waited patiently.

Just then he pulled out a voice recorder, reminding Margery of the many news reporters who visited her.

"What's the recorder for? Are you interviewing me, Mr. Membrane?" she asked, sounding amused.

He was merely a month younger than her own son, yet here he was probing her for answers. She found it more endearing than annoying, but then all his large-headed charm wears off, eventually. He was just such a young kid.

"Yes, it's mandatory. All SEN meetings with eye-witnesses are recorded."

"Eye witness?"

"Well, yes, that's what you are, right? You must have seen Him!"

"Him who?"

"Let me start over. I'm new at this."

"Alright."

"It's about the fire at your house, my most sincere apologies; Torque's a great friend. But I believe I know what created the huge hole in your wall." Margery perked up at this.

"It was extra-terrestrial activity. I know for sure. It's got his signature scorch marks all over it." Dib pulled out some newspaper cuttings, showing her the images of her house after the fire.

Margery turned cold all over. Extra-terrestrial? The images of the little creatures in the tree came back to her, but she decided to hear him out, regardless of her denial. The idea of an alien just seemed so preposterous, though she had it down to an angel, just as illogical, really. But which one was more plausible?

"I don't know what you're talking about," she decided to play dumb, but Dib saw right through her.

"You've gotta be kidding me? Your daughter even claims she seen him. She described him perfectly: his green skin, red eyes and long insect feelers."

"So you're saying the monster who saved my daughter is an alien?"

"Yes, and I know you know something, it's written all over you. Why won't you just –?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But you have to for the sake of all mankind. He's evil. He's trying to destroy our planet!"

_"Wow, torque wasn't lying when he said this kid was a little crazy,"_ she thought. "Look, Dib, I think you should go. Quite frankly, I don't feel comfortable speaking to a twelve-year-old about this, especially with a recorder, nonetheless. But I've never heard of your little friends the SEN, and –"

"They're a secret, but please hear me out. I'm a professional paranormal investigator. This is what I live for. You're my only chance of exposing –"

"Expose who exactly?"

Dib stopped short, and pulled out a few photographs. "You may want to prepare yourself. They're quite startling, but he is an alien, after all."

He passed her one of the images, and she dropped it at once as it fell on the table. Staring straight up at her from the photo was the same creäture she saw in the tree; her daughter's monster and guardian angel.

She turned white as the memories came back clearer, repainting fabricated images she conjured in her own mind since.

He had skin as green as asparagus, and huge, glistening eyes like rubies, just like the ones that stared right through her from the tree. The appendages atop its head were a large pair of antennae like a cockroach, as that memory of seeing insect feelers came rushing back, making her skin crawl.

This horrid thing came into contact with her daughter. Did it carry some infectious disease? But her little girl was alright, more than so considering her escape out of the fire.

Then did it give her a strange alien drug to make her better? Regardless, it saved her life, and as frightening as it was, she should be grateful like she told herself a million times. But deep down she was. It was just a lot to take in, an alien in her house, rescuing her daughter...

Her head began to swim, so she got up from the table to go and make a glass of water from the tap. The sound of cool, splashing water soothed her slightly, making her clammy skin feel hydrated. She took a thick gulp of her glass, choking it down like she had been trekking through the Sahara desert for months.

She leaned over the sink for some time shaking, feeling her stomach doing flips flops like she just come off a roller coaster. The very ground she walked on seemed to turn into a soft substance, making her stumble any minute. None of this could be real. It just couldn't.

Dib waited for her to regain some strength, but he had little time to spare, and he was desperate as it is. So he continued with his interrogation.

"I can tell you're keeping something from me, Miss Smack- Wills, there's no denying it. Most people who don't believe me either laugh or just call me crazy, but you, you look as if you're hiding something."

Margery turned and faced him now, feeling sorry for him. He wasn't crazy. He was just a confused little boy. She could understand why other kids would call him such, being children and all, but a grown adult should know better. He's just a kid.

Maybe his dad calls him crazy too? Poor thing. She can remember when she was convinced fairies were hiding her stuff when she was a child. No one believed her, but she knew she saw them no matter what people said.

However, all that child counselling her parents paid for – who were living in Hawaii now– convinced her that there were no fairies, sprites, goblins or whatever, just us in this world.

The human brain can only perceive so much of the world, that we trust what we believe to be real. But some of us are lucky, and those people realise it's a big universe, and in each universe there is a smaller one making the possibilities endless.

The more she thought about; the idea of an alien was very plausible. She knew she saw something that night. It wasn't like her daughter just blew the hole in the wall herself…

"You're not crazy, Dib, just a little eccentric. You're your own person, and don't ever forget that."

"Uh, thanks, I guess," Dib said, blushing slightly. "Wow, I'm not used to hearing that from adults, especially my dad. He wants me to be a scientist like him."

"Oh, science shmience. Who wants to work in a lab all day? It did it in college for a year, but I had to quit having a two-year-old son. At least I gave it a try. I always wanted to be a biologist, but that was until I realized how boring it was."

"Tell me about it. I hate wearing a lab coat, and there are so many tools and different scalpels; I don't know what to do. I'm more into the field of paranormal science."

It turned quiet again as the only sounds that accompanied them were Gus the terrier, barking at a cat outside. Margery took a deep breath and prepared herself to look at the picture of the alien once more, feeling butterflies in her stomach.

She picked it up and studied it for a while, realising how much she exaggerated. True, the thing was freakish looking, but it was also quite puny, and it wore a little red suit that looked like a dress. She told herself it was a tunic.

The more she studied the photo it appeared human, and less of a monster. She started to find it cute with its big shiny eyes. It was so slight and childlike; many girls and women would find it appealing considering its baby like qualities, once they got over the notion of _alien_.

It probably wasn't a baby though, far from it. Maybe it travelled millions of years through space and time just to come here (it was six months, really, but that's beside the point.)

Its expression in the picture looked surprised, further adding to its child-like charm. The photographer really caught this little guy at a bad time in some yard with giant gnomes. Wait, who took the picture?

"Did you take this picture yourself?"

"Yeah, I know where he lives. It's within walking distance from here in some dead-end street."

"He... he lives here? I know the street. It's the only cul-de-sac in this neighborhood."

"His name's Zim," Dib said. "I could take you there so you can see for yourself? His home is undeniably _alien_."

"... No," she said once.

"Why? With you as my witness we can finally expose him. We stand a better chance; your story is so hyped right now."

"I don't want to expose him..."

Dib stared at her incredulously. "What? You can't be serious? He's an evil alien soldier. His job is to infiltrate our planet, making us weak as the rest of his race comes here to finish the job! They have their own fleet, a powerful one from the data I've seen."

"If he's evil, then why did he save my daughter's life? What could he have possibly gained from doing that?"

Dib was speechless, having no answer to give. "I'm not really sure," he finally said. "I don't know why he did it, but he must have some ulterior motive, or he wouldn't have done it. He's ruthless, there's nothing good about him. The question is; why was he in your house in the first place? He was up to his evil alien schemes again. I just know it."

"I don't care as long as he was there. If he hadn't been, I would have last my little Mae."

"I know. I can understand, especially in Torque's case. I have my own little sister, a scary one, but I'd hate for something like that to happen to her. But please, don't think it was as an act of mercy on his behalf. He probably did it to look noble, like he's on our side."

I...I can't. I'd rather just let it pass. Maybe you don't know your little alien friend as well as you think. Here's something for you to digest, when I got around to the back of my house, he was cradling her. If that's not compassionate behavior, then I don't know what is. He could have just taken off after the fire, and left her there in the freezing cold."

Dib looked really confused now. He simply had nothing to say, no alternative conclusion. Cradling someone couldn't be anything other than what it is – caring.

"So, you have seen him?" he said after a while.

She gave a simple nod.

"And you're not going to help me expose him?"

She shook her head, and he sighed.

"Alright, I guess I'm sorry for wasting your time," he said, disappointed. "I suppose the SEN would like to keep evidence our meeting," he pointed at his recorder, "at least I've gotten something out of it. I won't be totally humiliated when I get to SEN Headquarters."

He got up and switched the recorder off, though he probably should have done that before he said all that stuff about his affiliates at the SEN.

He made his way toward the front door as Margery escorted him out, giving him company. The poor kid was crushed. It was the least she could do. Once outside, he hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a card from his pocket.

"Just in case you change your mind, here's my card with my number, and this card is for the SEN."

He gave her the two cards, as she looked at them confused. She couldn't believe a twelve-year-old just gave her his business cards. He was like one of them little genius kids you see on TV, weird, and abnormally intelligent.

She saw that SEN actually stood for 'The Swollen Eyeball Network' with a picture of a strange eyeball. Dib's personal card had the name 'Agent Mothman' wrote across, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Agent Mothman? So you're some kind of secret agent?"

"Yeah, kind of, I do get a lot of really cool gadgets, the latest in the field of paranormal studies."

Margery shook her head disbelieving. "You're not like other kids, are you?"

Dib shrugged, not looking the slightest bit fazed. He was different, and that was something to be proud of.

"Well, thank you for coming over. It was nice talking with you, Dib. Remember; don't give up on your dream. You can be whatever you want."

"Thank you," he said. "And tell Torque I said hi. Well, see you, Miss Wills. It was nice talking to you, too. Torque has a really cool mom."

With that he left, leaving a smiling Margery at the door. She watched him disappear down the street. He was a good kid, misunderstood but friendly enough. It was a shame his dad never saw him that way.

She still held the photograph and gave it one last look, noticing the little blue-eyed robot in the window of the strange green house. It was waving at the camera.

_"Now I wonder what his name is?"_

She decided to pay someone a little visit, and felt her dread sweep all over. But she was adamant. She needed answers to give her some resolve, and this was the time.

She grabbed her coat and let the dogs inside again. Snow began to fall, creating a fog where her breath escaped, then made her way to the little cul-de-sac with the small photograph.

* * *

**A/N: I've looked it up; I think Mike will be guilty of Arson in the first degree. I'm not sure though how it all works. That's why I left it at that. Don't worry, he'll get what he deserves...**

**This was hard to write at times. I couldn't grasp the emotions quite right, and it came off little awkward. Meh, I suppose people do act strange in certain situations.**

**Thank you for reading, and please leave a review and tell me what you think.**


	3. Dousing the fire

**A/N: Finally, chapter three is up - the epilogue. Please review, I know I'm finished now, but I really need to hear some feedback. Thank you in advance.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own IZ or gain any profit from writing fanfiction. I just do it for enjoyment.**

* * *

...

Zim didn't leave his house for days, being too afraid of any humans waiting to pounce on him with a giant net. His little face would peer up from his window, but then he would yelp and duck for cover once a human passed, gripping at his chest to feel his tiny heart racing like a rabbit.

He had never felt so on edge. Even GIR's coming up from behind whilst he stared out the window nearly made the Irken jump out of his skin. Zim scolded him, but GIR only laughed until the scary monkey show came on, and then he laughed some more.

Zim growled at the memory, as he looked over at GIR's place on the couch where a lone piggy sat.

The alien couldn't concentrate on anything else since he was too preoccupied. He increased the house's security by a ten-fold, nearly planting gnomes on the street beyond just to ward off intruders. The more gnomes, the better...

_"What am I so worried about? I am Zim. I have nothing, absolutely nothing to fear. I'm sure the human mother just forgot about..." _Zim's mental musing stopped short upon seeing a figure making its way toward his house.

His heart rose to his throat, and sure enough he ran over to his panel on the wall to strengthen the invisible barrier around the base. Zim pressed the buttons so frantically, that it sounded like he was playing a Beethoven classic in the way those keys created a tune with their constant beeps.

"GIR! Minimoose! Come quick! We're going down into the bunker. I believe it is time!"

**"They're not even in the room. Who you talking to?"** the computer asked.

"Do not question Zim, and get down into the bunker at once! There's not a moment to lose!"

**"I would if that were possible. Am I just supposed to go on and walk down there?"**

"Yes, you must find a way and grow legs! It's vital we all hide. The human is almost upon us!"

**"You're an idiot. My personality is already downloaded into the bunker –"**

"Aahhhh! They're here! Activate the torpedoes! Keep the human at bay!"

**"What torpedoes...?"**

The doorbell rang as Zim ran back and forth desperately, searching for somewhere to hide. He dived behind the couch as the doorbell rang again. How could the human have reached the door? He had his security measures in check. Maybe they didn't work? Those filthy gnomes!

"What am I going to do? It's probably a trap, an ambush! I'm done for now. Zim is no more..."

"Oooh I wonder who is at the door?" GIR asked delighted, and made his way over. Luckily for Zim; he was wearing his dog disguise. The human will be none the wiser when a dog answers the door, seeing how perfectly normal they were. So the alien let him answer as he stayed behind the couch, putting on his wig and contacts if need be.

...

Margery stood outside the strange door, wondering why it had a men's toilet sign. _"Odd choice..."_ she thought. She made it to the dead-end street, knowing the house the minute she saw it. It _was_ unmistakably alien; Dib was right. But how had no one else noticed before?

Her heart swelled once the door finally opened, and she stood there frozen, locking her eyes with a weird dog on two legs.

"_Yes?"_ the thing asked as she blinked in confusion. Not that she was surprised to see such a convincing dog talk, but she still didn't expect to hear it speak whatever it was.

"Um, is the master of the house home?" she asked, playing along.

"He's hiding behind the couch right now, but I can take a message."

"_Okay... _Well... um... tell him I said –"

"Hey, I know you; you're the little cub's mommy! We said hi to you up in the tree. How she doing?"

Zim's eyes blurred out of his skull in disbelief. It was her; the little girl's mother... What was she doing at his house? He suspected an ambush again, and looked to the right of the room at a window, deciding on making a run for it before it was too late. He would have to leave GIR, as he wasn't taking any chances in bringing him along.

"She's good, very good..." Margery stopped and unzipped the strange green suit, revealing the blue-eyed stranger she met on the night of the fire. She gasped in surprise, but was also pleased to finally meet one of her daughter's rescuers.

"I...I can't believe it. You're a robot?" she beamed, looking down at him.

"I guess I am," GIR scratched his head. "Wait, so I'm not a monkey?"

Zim sneaked behind out of view, as he climbed out the window and made his way around the front to spy on the human. He just wanted to get a good look, then he will make his escape.

A large pair of eyes peered round from the side of the house, watching the human mother who was in deep conversation with GIR, or so it looked. He wondered why she was here. There appeared to be no other humans around.

The alien shrugged, and was just about to make his way out from the the back until a gnome seized him, grabbing him by his arms and throwing him out of the yard. He must have accidentally programmed them to turn on him. Silly Irken...

Margery turned around upon hearing a scuffle, seeing the small green boy being dragged out of the garden by a moving gnome. The sight shocked her at once, so she staggered back, regaining her balance just in time.

"What are you doing? I am Zim! Unhand me now! You're supposed to obey me! That's the intruder!" Zim indicated to the door till he was thrown onto the asphalt with a huff, knocking the breath right out of him. Those gnomes were rough...

Zim stood up and brushed himself off; he couldn't believe he had just been thrown out of his own yard! But then he felt a pair of eyes boring into his back, and sure enough he gulped, turning to meet the gaze of a dark-haired human.

The Irken gave a nervous grin, showing off a row of zipper teeth. The human gasped at once. Her sudden intake of breath confused him, and self-consciously; he thought it was his smile. True, his teeth are a little freaky, but that hadn't bothered many humans before.

Zim pondered a moment until he noticed the single eye lens on the floor, and gave a shudder. The pupil of his lens gazed up at him eerily, leaving one of his alien eyes exposed. He picked it up and put it back in place, giving the human one more anxious glance.

She only stared as her skin paled like she had seen a ghost. He shifted his eyes uncomfortably, then began to move away from his house and away from the accusing look of the human. How could he have been so foolish to expose himself in broad day light?

Margery didn't know why she was so shaken; she already knew what to expect. She had seen the little being without his petty disguise twice now. But it didn't make it any less startling. It would probably take years to come to terms with the existence of alien life.

She came to herself when she noticed the little guy walking away. It looked so nervous for some strange reason. Why? He was from out-of-space after all.

"Wait! Come back!" she called, moving out of the yard to keep up.

He was across the street by now, as he moved faster upon noticing her pursuit. Where was he going?

"Please, I-I just want to talk to you."

He turned on her now, facing her full on. "You're lying! I know this is some kind of trick!"

It was shocking for her to hear him speak in perfect English. His voice was clear but strangely alien. And despite how high-pitched his voice was; it sounded male in the right sense.

She contemplated his attire, recognising his red coloured tunic from the photograph. But it was his face she studied the most, and his ridiculous attempts at looking human. He wore a bouffant wig, and greyish coloured contacts that made his eyes freakier. Now he looked like a green-skinned boy with abnormally large eyes like a cartoon character.

It did nothing to hide his alien-ess, and the fact he had no nose or ears made it worse. Yet no one seemed to notice, just going on with their everyday lives like the man across the street, getting into his car.

"I know you were in my house the other week," she said. "And I saw you in my yard, hiding in that tree. You saw me too; I know you did. You looked right at me."

"I... I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about... " he said, voice growing tight.

She moved closer, being only a metre away or so. He made no attempt to back away this time, and just stayed clued to his place in the concrete.

"Of course you do. You were caught in my house fire. You saved my daughter..."

The alien's eyes shined over as if he reflected upon something. He moved a shaking hand over his wig then gave a deep breath, releasing it back into the air with white tendrils of mist.

"I don't want to talk about it. Not here," he said, looking left and right for any eavesdroppers.

"It's okay. You have nothing to be afraid of –"

"Did you tell anyone?" he almost growled, boring straight into her eyes. She trembled with the intensity of his stare.

"No," she said once. His posture relaxed, and now he looked at her disbelieving.

"Why? _Why_ didn't you expose me when you had the chance? I'm quite dangerous, you know?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No," he said. "What is so _obvious_ –"

"Well you saved my daughter's life. Why would I expose you? I should be grateful for what you did."

"So that's why you're here; to thank me? How did you know where I live?"

"Your friend Dib came to see me." She heard him hiss in anger and mutter something about Dib-stink.

"He's not a friend... Well go on- talk. Say what you have to say. I'm very busy, but I think it's best we continue this meeting inside. I don't trust the lady who lives there." He pointed to a window to reveal a nosey woman peeking through a curtain.

Zim moved past her towards his house, but stopped before the fence due to a threatening look of the gnomes.

"I guess we'll just have to finish this out here. Confound those gnomes!"

He looked up at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Oh, um…" she was lost for words. How do you thank an extra-terrestrial for saving your child's life? Obvious, don't see him in that way. See him as something with feelings. He wasn't a monster after all, far from it.

"I want to thank you, Mr... Alien?"

"Mr. Zim, " he corrected.

"Okay, Mr. Zim, thank you. I...I don't know how to express how grateful I am. I guess the least I can do is keep your identity a secret," she smiled uncertainly.

"You would do that?"

"Of course, I owe you everything. If you hadn't gotten her out of the house in time; I would have lost her. She's just four years old..."

"And you don't care why I was in your house? Doing nothing corruptive, might I add. Just being a friendly neighbor. It's customary on my planet to break into each other's house and leave presents like your Santa Claus."

"I don't care about that; my little girl was lucky you were there."

"Yes, she really was. Being saved by the glory of Zim is a remarkable thing to experience. Is she alright? Has she recovered?"

"Yeah, she's great. You can hardly tell anything happened. The doctors were astounded by how healthy her lungs were. I can't help but think you had a part to play in that. How did you –?"

"An Irken never reveals anything about himself. You already know I'm alien. That's as far as I'll tell."

"That's alright. She's safe, and that's all I need to know. An Irken; is that what you are?"

"Uh... no, that's just my zodiac sign. I'll never reveal my species to the enemy."

"Alright," she said confused.

"Did you find the cause of the fire? Zim wants to know?"

"Yeah, it was an old friend. He's been taken into custody, but I'm not sure exactly what will happen yet. I hope he gets everything he deserves."

"Who is this friend? Tell me where I can find him? I would like to pay him a little visit sometime," Zim said darkly, as his eyes shone red through his contacts.

"It's not worth it. He won't get away with what he did, trust me. I'll make sure of that. No one endangers my kids' lives and gets off easy," she said, sounding just as dark and hateful as Zim.

"Well, if justice doesn't succeed, then I'll sure have my own method of punishment..."

They remained silent after that last remark, as Zim looked uncomfortable, not knowing what to do. He looked at his house, noticing GIR watching them from the door.

"You know," Zim started, "if it weren't for my robot, GIR, I would have never realized she was in the room. He guided me through all those life-threatening situations."

Margery looked over at the little robot, who huffed up his chest to appear more macho in the eyes of the lovely lady, waving nonchalantly.

She waved back. "GIR? I guess I owe a lot to him too. "

Zim had never felt so awkward while this human thanked him. He realised how nice it was to hear someone say 'thank you'. No one had ever done before, not even his Tallest for all his services. He was a dedicated solider, and it still wasn't enough. But this thank you was genuine, and it was obvious that the human meant it.

It left that strange fuzziness inside to make someone happy instead of frightened. His random act of kindness seemed to spread like the rings of a splashing pebble, touching many who weren't even aware of his actions that night. However, they knew something had spared that little girl, and it was one of those rare moments in life you greatly appreciate.

Did his act of kindness douse the inner flames of his soul that night? The flames that engulfed him long ago contributed to his many downfalls in life. His passion for war and destruction had never worked in his favour, but Zim always thought that was his biggest strength as an Invader, never realising it was his flaw. If something could tame that spirit, then maybe he would have a better chance of success in the future.

Maybe seeing that child suffocating in those flames tamed his inner fire, leaving a new Irken behind in its wake? He wasn't sure whether it was against the rules to save one of his enemies. Deep down, he knew it made no difference what he did. No one would care, unless he was blowing them up, of course. All was fine as long as the little defect Zim was out the way.

"I guess I've said all I needed to say," Margery finally said, distracting him from his thoughts.

"You're welcome. Your thanks are well received. And it was my pleasure, saving her... I wouldn't have left her, regardless of the costs," he said bashfully.

"Thank you, that's very sweet."

Margery moved away from the strange house, hesitating for a moment. She looked back one last time, receiving a questioning gaze from the alien. Next she broke the space between them, and locked her arms around him, leaving Zim entirely frozen.

Zim didn't know how to respond. It was so unexpected that all he could do was stand there motionless. His feet nearly lifted from the ground by the intensity of her hug. Then she let go, and he landed perfectly on the ground once again.

"That's for Mae," she said, giving his head a soft pat. "I guess when we next meet, Mr. Zim. I'm sure she'll want to come and visit you. She hasn't stopped talking about you ever since. You're her monster, after all, her hero..."

Zim was still in a state of shock as he looked up at her stunned. "I'd like that," he said. "Tell her Zim say's hello, and GIR, too."

"I will," she said. "And I'll make sure Torque is nice to you from now on. He may never realize it, but he owes you a lot."

She left him then, giving him one last wave once she reached the end of the street. A warm smile spread across Zim's face as he waved back. GIR came to his side to join him.

"Bye! It was nice to see you! Tell the little cub I said hi!"

"Come on, GIR; I have some gnomes to fix. I believe they see me as a threat to the base now, which is preposterous. I am Zim!"

With that they made their way inside as Zim had to dodge the gnomes with the aid of GIR, but he eventually made it back into the house.

Snow began to fall again, leaving the land white in its path. It was going to be a cold night, but the interior of one Irken's heart was warmed that day, creating a new sense pride inside.

* * *

**A/N: For a little girl who never made it out of the fire. I hope you and your family have found peace. **

**Thank you for reading :)**


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